JFPM CEO named 2008 Boss of the Year

Kgosientso Ramokgopa is named 2008 Boss of the Year at Montecasino on 16 October 2008.

Photographer: Simone Puterman, powered by Nokia.

Sputla, as he is popularly known, has a great passion for people with a winning mentality. He intends growing the JFPM by focusing on employee growth, improved stakeholder relations, business efficiency, improving market share through value-added activities and building a market that responds to changing industry demands, yet he is always aware of the numerous challenges facing business leaders.

Human relations

Besides surviving and thriving in a global economy in turbulent times, Ramokgopa reckons the biggest challenge facing leaders in the workplace today centres on soft issues like managing employee morale and human relations.

“One of the big leadership challenges today is to create an environment where people can have a sense of existence and belonging, as opposed to merely monetary benefits, which previously tended to be the focus. Although we've transcended that to an extent, creating a welcoming ambience for employees still needs attention. You can pay people as much as they want, but for as long as there is no a sense of belonging and people do not feel valued at the workplace, commitment will be lacking. In fact, soft issues are likely to occupy the centre stage of enterprises seeking to position themselves as market leaders,” Ramokgopa argues.

Ramokgopa receiving the keys to his new car.

Photographer: Dimitri Vouzounerakis

Obviously it is the function of a number of things, one being that leadership must be able to provide a vision and “sell” a picture of the future to all employees in order to motivate and retain them, he points out.

This is precisely what he is credited for doing at JFPM. “The CEO has clearly outlined his 2010 vision to the entire company and spelled out how each department and thus every employee fits in the organisation with regard its realisation. The end result is a highly motivated staff with improved morale. The JFPM is now becoming a fertile ground for breeding new leadership, especially for the previously advantaged to play a leading role in the agribusiness value chain,” says senior marketing manager Thomas Mawasha.

Growing the market

He adds that by espousing the essential values of professionalism, efficiency and good corporate governance, Ramokgopa has in no small measure contributed to the JFPM recording significant growth in turnover from R2,3bn in 2007 to R2,8bn in 2008 - an increase of R500m. The Market also managed to get a clean audit report in the previous financial year and is poised to repeat the feat in the 2007/08 financial year.

“Through his leadership of engagement with stakeholders and encouraging staff to do the same, the Market is fast regaining its reputation as the continent's pre-eminent centre for the sale of fresh produce and is on course to deliver profit to the shareholder to address the country's social needs,” stresses Mawasha.

Not just one

'The Boss's' new car - donated by Jaguar.

Photographer: Simone Puterman, powered by Nokia.

He shies away from taking personal credit for the success of his company: “I might be the face of the organisation, but it takes more than one person to convince an enterprise to go in a particular direction. The one thing, however, that I believe I have managed to do in all the organisations that I've led, is to identify talent, assemble excellent operational individuals around me, give them ownership of their portfolios and allow them to unleash their talent.

“I don't look over their shoulders; the best thing that I, as a leader, can do, is to provide them with leadership and vision, anticipating the future and ensuring that we fit into that future going forward. Their responsibility as managers is to focus operationally so that they can best accelerate our movement towards realising our vision.”

Boss of the Year is organised annually by Dictum Publishers. Sponsors of the Boss of the Year Award are : Patron of the Award: MTN SA Foundation, Aramis and Designer Fragrances, Paintings from well-known artists Ulric Roberts and Chrissie Malherbe courtesy of Die Kunshuis Clanwilliam, Jenna Clifford Homeware Collection, Microsoft SA, Sheaffer, Southern Sun Hotels, Jaguar and Stabilo (founder sponsor). Other sponsors include: The Star Workplace, Montecasino Conferences and Events and Décor Mechanics.